Sunday, January 15, 2012

Quilts and Another Giveaway

I received a giant box in the mail. I recently placed an order for some livestock supplies and I thought to myself, “Good grief that’s an awfully big box, how many syringes did I buy?” But it wasn’t syringes, it was quilts! The quilts I had sent home with Michelle after quilt retreat. She worked her long-arm magic on them and made them beau-ti-ful. I’d kill for that kind of talent. Okay, not kill, but armwrestle. Okay, with my weenie arms maybe not armwrestle either, but you know what I mean. The girl is crazy talented. Part of me doesn’t want to give you her website address because I want to keep her all to myself, but that’s not very nice so here it is www.michelles-quilts.com.

This is a full-size quilt I made for my guest room and is now my very-most favorite. The quilting she did reminds me of the old-fashioned feather quilting. It is exquisite. I can’t even describe how happy I am with this quilt.

Certain individuals around here like to claim this bed as her own, instead of using the one I provided her with.

So I made another quilt to cover the first, in order to protect it from her fur-flingin’ little body. I told Michelle it was just a quilt for the cat so she could do whatever she wanted for the quilting. It looks like a cat’s tail, don’t you think? I love it!

This next one is a throw-size that I’m afraid to admit how long ago I made. It was never my favorite. The concept was that it would be brick paths through a garden. I’m still not sure that’s what it really looks like, but now that Michelle has worked her magic, I like it so much better.

Look at this awesome pattern. Cool, eh?

I’m going to be hand-sewing binding on until March.

Today’s giveaway is for the quilters out there. Tell me what your favorite quilt block is and why, I’ll draw a winner 24-hours from now for these two great books, Quick and Easy Projects for the Weekend Quilter and Machine Quilting: The Basics and Beyond.

Yesterday's winning number was 5, csndyrn send me an e-mail with your snail-mail address to frontporchindiana (at) live (dot) com and I’ll whisk your prize off to you.

I’m making headway on getting my office cleaned up and I’m starting to see the surface of my desk in spots. At least one more giveaway coming so stay tuned.

Your quilts are beautiful!!!My favorite block to make is Churn Dash... because it always turns out very well for me and I like the looks of it.My favorite one to look at is Grandmother's Flower Garden...because my grandmother made a lot of her quilts with that little hexagon, that I find very intimidating,yet very pretty!

Don't enter me for the books, thanks. I'm like that guy in San Francisco, who after the Loma Prieta earthquake, when the rescue people dug him out from under the 800 of his books that had fallen on him, said "Perhaps I should think about having fewer books."

My you certainly will be busy stitching down binding on those lovely quilt!! I have to admit that Churn Dash is my favorite. It is easy to make and looks stunning when it is finished. And looks great scrappy!

I am still far too new at quilting to have a favorite block. I am currently cutting two and a half inch squares for a basic patch quilt like my great grandma used to make. I long to make the beautiful and intricut patterns that you do.

I would love a chance at these books! Thank you for showing off your own quilts.

I would have to say the log cabin is also my favorite block. My mother is an amazing quilter and it is the first quilt block that I remember her making. She was so proud of it! Now she has made about a zillion more and they are all gorgeous, but the first is still my favorite...

Favorite block? No, don't enter me in the contest. I've got enough quilt books as it is. What I would like is for you and I to get together to inspire me to FINISH a quilt down in that dungeon of mine, . . . er fiber world. And then I'll send it to your friend to quilt the top (as I'm done with that part of quilting). I've got that closet of fabric I'd like to go through and all that batting, cotton and my own wool of course. Make a dent down here anyway.

Your quilts are gorgeous! They will look so pretty on your bed. I like classic blocks. I love the 9-patch and just about any block with a star pattern in it. Almost every quilt I make has some sort of star in it. I just love stars. Nine Patch is my go to block when I need a quick quilt.

I read your blog all the time but I have to admit I am not commenting. I just don't have the live stock experience and the post on the loss had me weeping. I would be interested in For the weekend quilter.I have not yet seen the book. It looks interesting. I am so excited to see you posting about quilting. I understand how important a good long arm quilter is. I lost mine and I am still looking.

Wow, what beautiful quilting! I'm just getting started with quilting after not having done it for almost 30 years, so I would love to have either book. There are so many beautiful patterns, but I think my favorite right now is Providence. Thanks for doing the generous giveaway!

What a nice surprise to receive! My favorite quilt is the "Irish Chain" probably because I'm of my Irish descendants. I quilted a very long time ago, and now I'm starting again! I just happen to work with a "master quilter" who's giving me all sorts of tips! It's very exciting!

I love Log Cabin blocks and Churn Dash, but my very favorite block is the Disappearing Nine Patch because I can use it with almost any scraps to make a cool quilt and it helps disperse the colors evenly throughout the quilt.

Favorite Quotes

"Nowadays, people are so jeezled up. If they took some chamomile tea and spent more time rocking on the porch in the evening listening to the liquid song of the hermit thrush, they might enjoy life more."

- Tasha Tudor

"I do not wish to treat friendships daintily, but with the roughest courage. When they are real, they are not glass threads or frost-work, but the solidest thing we know."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious."

- Albert Einstein

"My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. One or other of us has got to go."